Public education reform has been a watchword for parents, educators and policymakers alike as all concerned parties work to tailor the system to our culture's changing needs. Landmark legislation was enacted in 2011 to accelerate the rate of improvement in Connecticut; this year those state-level changes are working hand-in-glove with federal reforms to dramatically alter the education landscape.

Connecticut is one of 45 states to have embraced what is known as the Common Core curriculum - a set of benchmarks established by the federal government to have students learn comparable skills at the same grade level nationwide. This approach has been heralded for its "front-loaded" nature, in which classroom lessons are emphasized as much at the beginning of the learning process as standardized test results are afterward.

Another advantage of this approach is its comprehensive scope - not only are these standards now in place from kindergarten through 12th grade, they exist across academic disciplines, in English language arts, history/social studies, science, and mathematics. In this manner they are expected to address what has been a glaring problem in post-secondary education: providing remedial help for students entering college without skills they were expected to have mastered in high school.

Beyond these proactive curriculum changes to streamline and standardize classroom standards, there is progress to report in the matter of assessments: evaluating the extent to which students are learning the necessary lessons and acquiring the appropriate skills. The next generation of fair and accurate testing is almost ready to launch - not only to gauge students' progress but to use Web-based, interactive means of doing so.

This new, technology-driven approach will allow for greater security throughout the evaluation process and will also yield virtually automatic, student-specific record keeping. The interactive nature of the process will allow students to move through at their own pace and ability, to more accurately measure what they know and how they're able to apply that knowledge.

The lynchpin in all these public education reforms is the teacher in front of each classroom, who delivers revised curriculum materials, helps individual students over specific obstacles, and then bears responsibility for evaluating his or her students. As co-chair of the legislature's Education Committee I have full appreciation for teachers' efforts to accept this challenge and adjust to these reforms; likewise I admire their perseverance during this exciting and transitional time.

And to be sure, many changes will continue to directly impact teachers. Professional development must and will be an essential component of reform - we cannot simply devise a 21st century education model and expect teachers to deliver it without adequate training. There is a learning curve ahead of full-scale implementation of these new Common Core teaching standards.

Perhaps the best news in all this is the extent to which the education community has worked collaboratively to reform public education and prepare young people for post-secondary, higher education, and then to join tomorrow's workforce. It is exactly that type of cooperation that will be required going forward so all stakeholders will reap the benefits and full potential of these reforms.

ANDREA STILLMAN REPRESENTS THE 20TH SENATORIAL DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES NEW LONDON, WATERFORD, EAST LYME, OLD LYME, OLD SAYBROOK, SALEM, MONTVILLE AND BOZRAH.